Black Country LEP courts Jaguar after i54 EZ decision

THE Black Country Local Enterprise Partnership is hoping to persuade Jaguar Land Rover to become the anchor tenant of the area’s new Enterprise Zone following Government approval for the new site.

Plans to designate the i54 site, together with the former James Bridge Copper Works in Darlaston as the twin sites for the Black Country Enterprise Zone were confirmed by the Treasury yesterday.

The move is expected to create thousands of new jobs and herald massive investment into the area.

Stewart Towe, president of the Black Country LEP, said he was delighted with the decision.

“What we are now looking to do is secure an anchor tenant for the i54 site that will spearhead growth and help to attract other high-tech manufacturing companies into the area,” he said.

Speculation is that if Jaguar commit to developing a new engine plant in the UK then the i54 site, just outside Wolverhampton, will be the favoured option.

With EZ status come additional benefits to firms willing to relocate to the area including lower business rates, superfast broadband and easier planning restrictions.

“We are hopeful that this is another step towards persuading them (JLR) to locate the engine plant here,” added Mr Towe.

However, he said the intention was to attract many other leading manufacturing companies to the area. Aerospace firms Moog and Eurofins are already signed up to become i54 tenants when construction work on their new buildings is complete.

“This is all about creating manufacturing jobs and here in the Black Country we have a strong manufacturing heritage but also the wide skills base businesses need.

“It is our role as the LEP to ensure we create the right conditions in order to stimulate growth,” he said.

Despite being designated the Black Country’s EZ, the i54 straddles the border with Staffordshire and Mr Towe said the Black Country LEP would be working with their Staffordshire counterparts to create these conditions.

Authorities in Staffordshire said the decision to confer EZ status on i54 was bitter sweet because it had been done so at the expense of plans for the North Staffordshire EZ, which was proposed for the Etruria Valley.

Nevertheless, the county council said it would abide by the decision and do all it could to boost jobs and investment in the south of the county.

Another scheme to miss out was the bid by the Greater Birmingham and Solihull LEP for a so-called Enterprise Belt.

In the first round of EZ bidding, the Government opted to confer EZ status on part of Birmingham city centre. The fresh bid would have seen a belt – or corridor – created through the LEP area to support out-of-town development.

Steve Hollis, left, vice chair of the Greater Birmingham and Solihull LEP, said: “Despite the success of our vanguard Birmingham City Centre Enterprise Zone bid, we are naturally disappointed that our second bid for an Enterprise Zone has been unsuccessful. However, we are pleased that the Government has acknowledged the scale of our ambitions for the LEP.

“As one of the country’s Core City LEPs, the success of the Enterprise Belt is important to attracting new businesses and talent, and also to the economic success of the Midlands and the Country as a whole.”

He said the Government’s decision not to approve the second bid would not affect the LEP’s commitment to take the Enterprise Belt forward.

“We are in discussions with Greg Clark, the newly appointed minister for cities, and the Deputy Prime Minister, who will be chairing a Cabinet sub-group on cities, to explore alternative ways forward to achieve the LEP’s ambitious growth agenda,” added Mr Hollis.

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